The present invention relates to a hand-held interactive electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic device that is configured as a hand-held device with an electronic display that allows a user to engage in interactive, display-based gaming-styled activities having educational or amusement value to the user.
Conventional hand-held interactive electronic devices, such as electronic gaming devices and personal digital assistants, due to their intended use typically have relatively small, video displays, approximately twenty five to one-hundred square centimeters. In such devices, there is a premium placed on the use of the active area of the display. Accordingly, screen layouts for the active area generally allocate limited space for icons that a user may select to place the device in a particular mode of operation or to activate a specific function of the device. Typically, the icons are small unlabeled graphic images that the user must learn to associate with the corresponding function. Labels identifying the icons, if any, are provided permanently on the housing of the device, thereby limiting the number of modes of operation of the device or its functionality or are software generated pop-ups using additional display real estate.
Accordingly, there is a need for a hand-held electronic device that communicates to the user the identity of the modes of operation or functions associated with selectable icons appearing on the display without adversely affecting the utility of the device.